Tuesday Course: Installation
The Course began with a question. "Do you love Art?" Obviously everyone picked up their hands. This was followed by yet another question. "What is it about art that you love?" At first we were silent but slowly the class became more interactive and everyone eventually participated by replying in one word what art means to us.
After the exercise we were asked to find out the pure meaning of the word Art Installation. Swiftly we opened Wikipedia and looked up the meaning of installation. An Installation is an artistic genre of three dimensional works of art which are often site specific. Usually this term is applied for interior space and external interventions are called Land art. We were now asked to search for an installation and show it to class. It wasn't necessary to know any history whatsoever about the artist or about the piece. We had to present with our views and thoughts on the installation.
I still don't know what its called but what I like about it is the fact that the artist has used a large, grand space. The colour chosen, gold, is the shade closest to perfection. Also the triangular elements contradicts the circular arches of the hallways. In all it's a beautiful composition of size , apt colour and placement.
After this bit we were randomly asked to clear our tables and pull our chairs and back and sit. We did as our facilitator said. He then asked us to stand on top of the tables and walk on them. At instances he would ask us to freeze and we would just stand still patiently yet impatiently waiting for him to ask us to become normal again. We descended to the floor and continued this exercise for a while and then stopped after a good 3-4 minutes. He told us to finally sit down and asked us what was the difference that we felt while doing this. For some of us we saw the space in which we were being used in a different ways. For others it was about the way the tables were trembling. A few of us observed the change in height as we stood up on the table and then jumped back down again. Some of us thought it was an installation. But our facilitator was more focused to that moment when we froze. He said that was looking at our faces and that he could see that we were waiting for him to tell us to come back to normal. He was more focused on the experience of the exercise.
Later today we were asked to find a space. Our objective was to imagine this space to be an installation. We had to give this installation a title and write about this installation and the space it impacted. We ( Barkha,Tushar and me )chose a window just outside our classroom. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to show you what it looks like. But I will get it as soon as possible. Anyway, the window was quite big. Probably as big if you stretch your arms out onto the side. It had black rectangular grills and was placed on the staircase a little closer to the ground.
Seeing the grills and also noticing the wide view this window gave behind these grills we named this installation Caged Freedom. We had to write about it now and this is what we came up with.
The Write up for the installation.
It stays where it has to, but it moves where it wants. The light traces a path on the walls, through the floors and finally disappears at the end of the day.
The installation depicts irony. It's like you're watching a live match going on, but you wish you were there. You feel freedom but it isn't quite the same as having it. The grill confines the freedom to be inside.
At some times of the day the installation welcomes you to come and sit. In the loving warmth of the mid-day sun you arrive. It shows you many things but you can choose what to see. It shows you images of shimmering trees, dull building and lively beings moving about. Choose. Everyone interacts with installation at least subconsciously. You interact with the image it casts around it and you unknowingly become a part of it. You can touch the Aluminium frame and the grills. You can also touch the warmth. You feel connected with this warmth. This is the only way you are connected to the outside. The installation is not just restricted to the window. The light falling on the walls and the shadows people cast are also part of the installation. Every once in a while it treads a short distance. You can sit in front of it and lose track of time because you sit and stare and now you begin to see the stillness of things. In this state of stillness time flies. The view goes on and keeps going on only ending when you can't see any further.
The best thing about this installation is that it gives YOU different perspectives to see. Everything that you SEE is subjective and the window respects everyone's point of view.
A simple shape ,noticeable size and regular variation of shades of colour. Perfectly placed on the bottom of the wall. It' new but it does the trick.No matter how static it may seem, seeing it everyday one will realize that it isn't static at all. It's moving.
( written by Anukool Raman)
The poem which was also written to support the installation.
Light coming in,
Eyes looking out,
A world beyond,
Black lines cut across,
Confining thought and body.
Wings shut inside
restricted,
to moral ground.
Shadows outline
the light coming in,
a crude mimicry of it's geometric form.
Inviting picture
A play of perspective,
Aluminium frame of eternal vision.
Sun light,
Keeping boredom warm,
warm, behind the iron bars.
Cruel glass
Shutting in freedom,
but letting hope fly free.
Silent sir,
Mystical doorway,
to a garden on the air.
Smell the cacophony of life
in flowers fashioned
from wind.
White trees sailing,
across the sky
and bountiful fruit
hanging from the ceiling of the world.
But this meadow divine,
is a dream untouched,
a sweet vision beheld,
by freedom,
caged inside.
( written by Tushar Pant)
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The mind map made by Barkha, on the basis of which the entire write-up and poem was written. It helped the entire group to brainstorm and gave us direction. In short this mind map gave us a structure.Mind Map made by Barkha Gupta. The window which was the installation we had selected as the basis of whatever was written in the write-up and the poem. |
